37th Annual New Approach Summer Show

BANGOR- The New Approach will be performing their annual summer show Friday, August 3 through Sunday, August 5 at the Bangor Area Middle School. Show times are 7:30 PM on Friday and Saturday and 2 PM on Sunday. The group performs high-energy shows and usually draws audiences of approximately 500-600 each night. The theme of this summer’s show is "The Power Of Love," which will feature hits from the 50’s through today. Songs in the set list include The Power Of Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I Love Rock and Roll, Can't Buy Me Love, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling and many others. A live band accompanies the performers, and the show is directed by Jean Pinto and Terry Toth. Tickets cost $7 for persons older than age 10 and $3 for persons under age 10. Tickets can be purchased at Horn’s Outdoor Center, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, from any cast member or at the door.

The New Approach is a volunteer group founded by Jean Pinto 37 years ago as a group of kids singing and performing until Tim Caracio, a member, was diagnosed with cancer. At the time he was Jean’s next door neighbor and at only 18 years old, his sudden and unexpected death left the group of kids wondering what they could do to make a difference so no one else would ever have to go through Tim’s condition again. In 37 years, the group has raised over $300,000 dollars for cancer research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center through the Tim Caracio Memorial Cancer Fund. Funded by ticket sales from their summer shows, they have been able to help make great strides in cancer research to find a cure for this terrible disease. They still continue to not only support cancer research, but through Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown, assist people living through various cancer treatments.

The New Approach is a group of local members who sing and dance to a variety of different show, and contemporary music. The adult group has 55 members, and the Little Approach, the children's group, has 25 members. The show is high energy, and a great evening of entertainment. The best part of this show is that the group donates all their time and materials to benefit those who are suffering from cancer.

For more information on this show, musical numbers, and the history of the group, visit http://home.epix.net/~tersuz/newapproach/newapproach.htm.

Roseto Participating in the 24th Annual National Night Out

ROSETO- The residents of Roseto are invited on Tuesday, August 7 to join forces with thousands of communities across the nation for the 24th Annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event. The event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored by the Roseto Block Watch. The event involves over 11,000 communities from all 50 states, US Territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. A total of approximately 3-5 million people are expected to participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ on August 7 from 6 - 9:30 PM when residents in Roseto and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on their outside lights and spend the evening outside with other neighbors and police. The Borough of Roseto and the Roseto Block Watch Program will be hosting a community party at the Roseto Borough Park. All borough residents are invited to bring a picnic and the Block Watch will provide soda and popcorn. There will be games, a raffle, cakewalk and informational handouts about crime prevention methods, safety and how to help Roseto “Take A Bite-Out of Crime.” There will also be a special show by Roseto’s chief of police, Jack Nicholais. For more information, contact the Roseto Police Department at 610.588.0390.

Grucela Hosting Hearing on Impact-fees Legislation

MT. BETHEL- State Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, will host a House Local Government Committee hearing Thursday, August 2 to gather testimony on his educational impact fees legislation, which would address rapidly expanding residential developments and their impact on school districts’ funds for educational programs. Committee Chairman Robert L. Freeman, D-Northampton, also will participate. The hearing will be held from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Upper Mt. Bethel Township Municipal Building, 387 Ye Olde Highway in Mt. Bethel.

Grucela’s legislation (H.B. 72) would allow school districts to impose education impact fees on new residential developments. The fees would enable a school district to fund the programs and facilities necessary to accommodate increased student enrollment due to new development in the district, rather than having most of the cost fall on existing residents and businesses.

Also expected to offer testimony are: John Reinhart, superintendent, Bangor Area School District; Dr. Tim Kelsey, professor, Penn State University Department of Agriculture; John Rice, township solicitor; Christopher Baj, school board member, East Stroudsburg Area School District and member of the Pennsylvania School Boards’ Association; Mark Mitman, Pennsylvania Builders Association; Sherry Darr, resident, Washington Township; Robert Gerwig, resident, Upper Mt. Bethel Township; Tom Lilli, resident, Upper Mt. Bethel Township.

19th Annual Bluegrass Festival

WIND GAP- The Appalachian Fiddle and Bluegrass Association will hold the 18th annual Bluegrass Festival from Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5 at Mountain View Park. Featured acts include Mountain Heart, Ronnie Reno & The Reno Tradition, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Dan Paisley & Southern Grass, Lou Reid & Carolina, Pine Mountain Railroad, Wildfire, Steep Canyon Rangers, New Found Road, Homegrown String Band, Like Father Like Son, Forgotten Mt. Boys, Stained Grass Window, Country Grass, Willow Creek, Mountain Heritage, Mill Creek Boys, Lost Ramblers, Second Wind, Bluegrass Countrymen, Texas Rose, Homespun Bluegrass, Blue Roots, Aimless Pursuit ,Remington Ryde and Santara Wind. Tickets cost $61 per adult and $28 per child (ages 12-16) for the entire weekend. Children under the age of 12 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Individual pricing per day is $11 for Thursday, $22 for Friday, and $28 for Saturday. Both Saturday and Sunday feature special pricing at $22 per person at the gate after 6 PM. Parties purchasing weekend tickets can take advantage of free camping and showers. A variety of food vendors will be present as well as workshops, showcases, and children programs. Mountain View Park is located on East Mountain Road in Wind Gap. For more information, call 610.838.3015 or visit www.afbawindgap.org.

Mt. Bethel Fire Company Holding 3rd Annual Carnival

Mt. Bethel Fire Company is holding their 3rd annual carnival from Thursday, August 2 through Saturday, August 4 on the fire company grounds on Route 611 in Mt. Bethel. The carnival hours are 6-10 PM Thursday and Friday and 4-10 PM Saturday. Thursday features a $15 ride special from 6-9 PM. Live entertainment is planned for each night. Led Foot performs Thursday from 7-10 PM, Stampede on Friday from 7-10 PM and Phoenix from 6-9 PM on Saturday. The carnival features food, games, rides and more. For more information, call 570.897.6919.

Flicksville UCC Summer Festival

Flicksville United Church of Christ is holding its summer festival from 4 to 8:30 PM on Saturday, August 4 in the church parking lot. There will be food, games, a cakewalk, DJ entertainment and a Chinese Auction. The festival will be held rain or shine. Flicksville UCC is located on Martins Creek Highway/Lower South Main Street in Bangor.

Weona Park Summer Sounds Featuring Sal Ritz and Joe Mixon

The Weona Park Band Shell will host the Summer Sounds concert performed by Sal Ritz and Joe Mixon on Sunday, August 5 at Weona Park in Pen Argyl. The free concert, featuring classic rock and blues, begins at 6 PM and is sponsored by Pen Argyl Borough, Pen Argyl Athletic and Park Association, Green Knight Economic Development Corporation, MPTF and PA Partners in the Arts.

Pen Argyl High School Fall Sports Screening

Fall sports physicals and screenings for Pen Argyl Area High School will be given on Wednesday, August 1 in the health room at the high school as follows. The schedule is as follows: returning lettermen varsity football players will report at 8 AM; non-lettermen varsity football players at 8:30 AM; middle school football players 8:45 AM; soccer, golf and boys’ cross country at 9:10 AM; girls’ cross country at 9:30 AM; high school field hockey at 10 AM; middle school field hockey at 10:30 AM; girls’ tennis and cheering at 11 AM.

Sundaes on Sunday at Ackermanville United Methodist

Ackermanville United Methodist Church will be serving sundaes made with Jacktown ice cream from 4 to 7 PM on Sunday, August 5. Hot dogs and hamburgers will also be served and games will be available for the kids. Call 610.588.6111 for more information.

Columbia Fire Company Holding 4-Man Scramble Golf Outing

Columbia Fire Company will hold their annual golf outing on Friday, August 10 at Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem. The cost is $90 and registration begins at 8 AM accompanied by a continental breakfast. A shotgun start will begin the match at 9 AM. All golfers must dress in proper golf attire. For more information, call John Martocci at 710.588.8197, Vito Trigiani at 610.588.6070, Matt Goffredo at 610.588.6038 or Larry King at 610.588.2813.

Bangor Farmers Market Reopens August 4

The Bangor Farmers Market will be open Saturday, August 4 on the corner of First and Market Streets in Bangor. The market, sponsored by the Bangor Main Street Program and Bangor Borough, is open every other Saturday throughout the summer from 9 AM to 2 PM. Anyone interested in selling fresh produce, fruits, vegetables and crafts should contact Barbara Zavacky at 610.588.5174.

North Bangor Fire Company All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast

The North Bangor Fire Company will hold their monthly breakfast on Sunday, August 5 from 7 AM to 12 PM at the North Bangor Social Hall. The menu consists of eggs, pancakes, French toast, and chipped beef on toast. There will be ham, bacon, sausage, scrapple, home fries, and toast available. Beverages, desserts, and fresh fruit will also be available. There will be pull tabs available for purchase. The North Bangor Fire Company Auxiliary holds a drawing for different items each month during the breakfast. The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12. Children under age 6 eat free.

Elyssa Cohen’s Artwork on Display at the Slate Belt Museum

A two-week exhibition of artwork by Elyssa Cohen, artist and photographer from Mount Bethel, will be on Saturdays, August 4 and 11 and Sundays, August 5 and 12 at the Slate Belt Museum. The museum is located at 2214 North Delaware Drive in Mount Bethel, on Route 611 just north of the Route 512 intersection and 2 miles south of the Portland-Columbia bridge to Interstate 80 in New Jersey. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

Slate Belt Corvette Club Holding Monthly Meeting

The Slate Belt Corvette Club (SBCC) will hold its next monthly meeting at 9 AM on Saturday, August 1 at Lee’s Café. The club meets the first Saturday of each month. Lee’s Café is located at 103 South Robinson Avenue in Pen Argyl. For more information, call Norm at 570.897.5956 or Jeff at 610.841.6403.

Christ Lutheran Hosting Ice Cream Social

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church is holding its annual ice cream social from 4 to 8 PM on Saturday, August 4 on the church grounds. Visitors can enjoy hand-churned ice cream and baked goods as well as hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, barbeque and a variety of beverages. Bill Clinton & the Keystone Troubadours and Bill Ponnett will provide live traditional country entertainment. There will also be a bake sale and possibly a cake walk. Bring your cowbells and lawn chairs for a good old-fashioned, foot stomping, hand clapping good time. The event will be held rain or shine. Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 703 S. Delaware Drive in Mt. Bethel. For information, call Lynn at 610-588-7076.

HUB Teen Center Closed for Renovations

The Hub Teen Center will be closed for the month of August for renovations. If anyone would like to make a tax deductible contribution to help with the paint, ceiling and flooring you can call Family Life Community Church at 610.588.3736 or mail a check to Family Life Community Church, 1115 Richmond Road, Bangor PA 18013.

Plainfield Fire Company Bloodmobile Site

Plainfield Volunteer Fire Company is a weekly bloodmobile site. Blood drive hours are every Thursday from 3 PM to 7:30 PM and every other Tuesday from 3 PM to 7:30 PM. The Plainfield Fire Company is located at 6480 Sullivan Trail. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at this site and nearby areas, visit www.GiveAPint.org or call 800-223-6667.

Slate Belt AARP Cancels August Meeting

The Slate Belt AARP has canceled its August meeting. The next meeting is scheduled 1:30 PM on Monday, September 10 at the Slate Belt Senior Center located at the Blue Valley Farm Show Auditorium on American-Bangor Road in Washington Township. Membership in the chapter is for persons 50 years of age and older who are members of the national AARP. The Slate Belt AARP meets at 1:30 PM on the second Monday of each month.

Slate Belt Chamber Hosting Consumer Protection Representative

The Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a representative from the Consumer Protection Bureau from 1 to 3 PM on Wednesday, August 8. The bureau investigates consumer complaints and works to arbitrate an agreement between the business and consumer. The representative will be at the Slate Belt Chamber on the second Wednesday of each month. The Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce is located at 856 West Pennsylvania Avenue in Pen Argyl. For more information, call 610.863.0315.

East Bangor Fire House Hosts Singles & Over 40’s Dance Club

East Bangor Fire House hosts a singles and over 40’s dance club every Saturday night from 8 to 11 PM. Live music, a buffet and beverages are included. The cost is $5 for members and $6 for non-members. East Bangor Fire House is located on Route 512 in East Bangor.

Pocono Garlic Festival Announces Entertainment for 2007

The 2007 Pocono Garlic Festival now a two day event on Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2, and now with a new host site, Shawnee Mountain Ski Area, is pleased to unveil its growing list of entertainers for the locally based premier food festival. With two outdoor stages, an outdoor activity area, indoor theatre and multiple strolling acts, festival goers will enjoy a wide variety of non-stop live music and “garlic themed” novelty shows and entertainment geared for the whole family.

Returning and local musical acts performing live on stage both days include the high energy Roamin’ Gabriels with their “groove music”, the banjo strumming Juggernaut String Band, The Lost Ramblers - a folk and bluegrass band, singer/guitarist and stand-up comedian – Tom Riccobono, Milkweed – an original folk-jazz band, Pocono native Zac Lawless with his young, fresh blend of rock, blues, hip-hop, funk and soul and guitarist Larry Tritel singing his originals, including the “Garlic Song”.

Headlining the musical entertainment both Saturday and Sunday will be Hadrian’s Wall. From Glenngary, Ontario, having performed at large scale festivals throughout the US and Canada, Hadrian’s Wall delivers a live performance described as nothing less than dynamic, energetic and unforgettable. Hadrian’s borrows from traditional Celtic music and creatively weaves it through their own unique blend of folk, blues and pop/rock to deliver a fresh and diverse palette of sound. Sometimes pensive, more often driving and melodic, the music is always captivating and the band always strong.

The Kathy Kroll Dance and Paper Theatre Company will also perform twice daily for this year’s festival. The internationally known troupe will be tripping the light garlic fantastic and performing the long censored garlic fertility dance. Their signature number: “Dream of the Garlic Grower”.

Along with his strolling magic, Steve Christopher will perform a special “Beyond the Five Senses” magic show in the “Garden of Wonders” magic theatre. Also strolling will be “Pie Man” the garlic cooking, living statue chef and a “Garlic Man” stilt walker, both compliments of Aardvark Entertainment. For the younger children “Dr. Planet” will perform his shows twice daily using clever lyrics and catchy songs to convey planetary and environment subject material.

Charlie Archibald, host of the New Era Cooking Show, will be a special added attraction both Saturday and Sunday at the 2007 Pocono Garlic Festival. His outdoor show will feature healthy cooking with tasty garlic flavored recipes from his Only the Finest Cookbook. Charlie has appeared on affiliate stations of all the major TV networks and on the Today Show in New York.

Use of Shawnee Play Place & Water Park, also on the grounds of Shawnee Mountain, with its two waterslides, splash down pools and 15 play elements will also be included with Garlic Festival Admission, both Saturday and Sunday.

The local farmers are reporting that this year’s Pocono garlic harvest is shaping up to be one of the best ever. Our local garlic growers are extremely optimistic and will begin harvesting very soon.

For more information on the 2007 Pocono Garlic Festival including an update on additional entertainers, ticket rates, hours, schedules and advance discount tickets purchases, visit www.ShawneeMt.com or call Shawnee Mountain at 570.421.7231.

NCC’s Computer Networking Program Recognized for Rigor

Northampton Community College is one of three educational institutions in the country to be recognized this year for rigor in its degree program for students interested in becoming certified in Cisco networking. The announcement was made by Cisco at its annual networkers conference. Other colleges and universities who received awards in other categories include Ball State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Illinois.

The recognition awards measure rigor, relevance, relationships, and results as key components that lead to success within the Cisco Networking Academy program. Rigor refers to academic depth.

Northampton Community College offers networking as one of several options for specialization within its computer information technology major. The program is designed for students who want to work as network systems technicians, network technicians or network administrators. Graduates earn an associate in applied science degree and are prepared to earn Cisco, Microsoft, Security and other career certifications.

For additional information about the award or about the program, contact Kevin Manna, assistant professor of computer science at Northampton Community College, at 610.861.5392.

“100 Years of Tin Toys” Exhibit at Stroud Mansion

The Monroe County Historical Association is offering an exhibit at the Stroud Mansion titled “100 Years of Tin Toys, 1900 to 2000” through March 2008. The exhibit features a large collection in variety and creativity of tin toys. The Monroe County Historical Association is housed in the historic 1795 Stroud Mansion located at 900 Main Street in Stroudsburg. The Stroud Mansion is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visitors can receive a one-hour guided tour of the Stroud Mansion daily at 10 AM and 2 PM. Admission costs $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 to view the Tin Toy exhibit only. For more information, call 570.421.7703.

Safe Haven for Dogs Needs Loving Foster Homes

Safe Haven is a new dog rescue organization that rescues unwanted dogs in high-kill shelters before their time is up. These dogs are beautiful and loving animals that just need another chance at life. The organization is a small group of dedicated volunteers doing all they can to save as many dogs as possible. Although Safe Haven is a new organization, all volunteers have been involved in animal rescue for many years. Currently all of their pets are being fostered by their volunteers. Anyone who is an animal lover, and could provide a loving temporary home for deserving dogs can contact Safe Haven at 570.646.4652 or safehaven@epix.net. For more information on volunteering and helping with fundraising or transporting, visit www.safehavenpa.org.